Heddle and heddle-frame.



No. 798,736. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905. W. S. LAOKBY.

HEDDLE AND HEDDLE FRAME.

APPLIOATION FILED we. 12, 1904.

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HEDDLE AND HEDDLE-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

; atented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed August 12, 1904. Serial No. 220,536.

To 1/. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM S. LACKEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Haddonfield, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heddles and Heddle-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in heddles and heddle-frames for loom-harness; and it relates to features of construction in the heddle whereby a repair-heddle is provided 2 (a, one which will allow the harness to be repaired with facility and speedily by simply removing the damaged heddle and replacing it with a new one.

It relates also to the manner in which the heddles are supported on the frame whereby perfect self-adjustment of the heddles is allowed when the warp is drawn through and tightened.

An existingform of heddle-frame comprises a wire or rail on which the heddles are threaded, said rail being supported by hooks arranged at intermediate points. These hooks in the arrangement referred to provide an objectionable form of support in that they obstruct the free adjustment of the heddles along the supporting-wire and make necessary the greatest care in dividing the heddles into the proper numbers between the hooks, and not only this, but they leave a considerable space between the heddles at the points along the supports where the hooks occur, this divisional space being equal to the thickness of the hook.

In carrying out my present invention I have constructed and arranged the supporting means, including the rails and the hooks, in such am anner as to allow the heddles to occupy any desired position along the rail, said rail being free and unobstructed from end to end for the positioning and self-adjustment of the heddles, and I have had in mind also the necessity of avoiding all liability of the support becoming clogged or obstructed by the fly or lint detached from the thread.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the heddle-frame embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge View of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the upper end of a heddle and the means for supporting the same. Fig. t is a view of the supporting-hook detached. Fig. 5 is a view of the upper end of a heddle.

The heddle-frame comprises side bars 1, a top bar 2, and a bottom bar 3. The heddles are formed of flat metal having warp-eyes 4, preferably of oval shape. The ends of the heddles are enlarged, and in said enlarged portion I form an elongated or oval slot 5, with its long dimension extending vertically, the upper end terminating in a narrowed portion or extension 6 of the said slot. For supporting the heddles the bars 7 are provided of metal or other suitable material, said bars being of channeled form, having beads 8 9 on the upper and lower edges, respectively. The

upper bead affords a bearing or means of engagement for the supporting hooks or arms 10, which are secured in the horizontal rails of the frame by being screw-threaded therein, said hooks having their ends shaped to conform to the bead and web of the rail, or, in other words, having the supporting-lingers 11, which grasp the upper head. The upper and lower beads are separated, as above indicated, by the web 7, and the lower bead affords a bearing for the heddles in a plane entirely below the ends of the supporting-hooks. This lower bead is grasped by the fingers 12 of the heddle, which lingers are provided by the slotted formation of the end of the heddle. At the lower part of the frame the construction is similar, the rail being held by the lower bead grasped by the hooks while the heddles grasp the upper bead, and the heddles at their lower ends also are thus adapted to be positioned at any point along the bar without any obstruction being offered from the supporting-hook.

From the above-described construction it will be seen that the heddles are perfectly free to adjust themselves to different positions along the rails and that no division is necessary among them in order to avoid the supporting-hooks, as in the existing arrangement above referred to. The rails are interchangeable and may be used indiscriminately at top and bottom of the frame, and as they are of symmetrical form they may be arranged with either bead uppermost, for it will be noticed that the hooks and the heddle ends are of like formation in so far that they are each provided with fingers adapted to grasp either bead of the rail. By my invention no clogging of the heddle will take place from the collection of lint, as there is no place along the rail or between the rail and the frame or between the ends of the heddle and the rail or frame for the lint to permanently lodge.

All parts of the rail and all parts of the ends of the heddle are accessible and may be lquickly freed from any lint which might colect.

The rails extend through the sides of the frame and project slightly at each end. They may be slid longitudinally, and for holding them in position I provide pivoted catches 13, which engage openings in the webs of the rails.

In order to thread the heddles upon the rails, the latches are thrown back and the rails are slid longitudinally, so that one end of each will lie within the frame and be exposed for placing the heddles thereon.

It will be noticed from Fig. I that the supporting-hooks have their ends adapted to closely embrace the head of the rail, while the ends of the heddles have their eyes or openings elongated vertically. This provides the elongated inwardly curving fingers 12 and makes the heddle what is termed a repair-heddle, for the reason that in case a heddle becomes damaged these long fingers may be bent aside in opposite directions transversely to the plane of the flat end, and thus an opening will be provided sufficiently large to permit removal of the heddle from the bead, and a new heddle may in similar manner be placed in position by bending the fingers apart to receive the bead and then bending the fingers back again into the same plane with each other. This function of the heddle is due to the elongated formation of the eye in a vertical direction providing the long fingers and slight vertical play.

Heretofore in a heddle of this construction it has been customary to get the proper relative position of the warp-eye by twisting the fiat metal, the twist occurring at or near the thread-eye. In my present invention I secure the proper relation between the center part and the ends of the heddles by forming the twists or bends in the metal near each end instead of at the central part, and by this I derive the advantage that the chafing of the thread will be avoided which heretofore has frequently occurred owing to the edges of the twisted metal engaging the thread.

The railsI prefer to form of sheet metal with the edges turned or rolled over to provide the beads, as shown in Fig. 4:. I do not wish to limit myself to the beaded form of rail, though I much prefer this. Other forms of rail in which hearing or gripping means are provided for the books or arms and beddles extending lengthwise of the bar fall within the scope of the broad features of my invention, particularly where such bearings or surfaces extend continuously along the rail from end to end.

In Fig. 3 I show the position the heddle assumes in respect to the lower rail-that is, loosely engaging the samethe upper end being in the position indicated in said figure, in respect to the upper railthat is, resting thereon.

I claim 1. A heddle having its ends provided with openings elongated vertically and having a narrowed continuation through to the edge providing inwardly-directed terminal fingers, substantially as described.

2. In combination with theheddles,a frame, rails having a bearing-surface free and unobstructed from end to end to permit free acijustment of the heddles and means for supporting the said rails from the frame at separated points along the same, and with a free space between the rail and the frame member said heddles embracing the outer sides of the rails substantially as described.

3. In combination with the heddles, a frame comprising rails having a bead or rib along one edge and arms connected with the other edge at different points and supporting the rail from the frame member with a space between, the bead being left free from end to end for the adjustment of the heddles, substantially as described.

4. In combination with heddles, a rail for supporting them having a rib or bead extending longitudinallythereof to be engaged by the heddles and second rib or bead extending longitudinally and supporting devices engaging the said second rib, substantially as clescribed.

5. In combination with the heddles, a rail having a bead extending longitudinally along each edge, the heddles engaging one of said beads and arms having hooks engaging the other of said beads allowing the heddles to move freely past the hooks, substantially as described.

I 6. In combination with the heddles, a rail having a head on its edge and heddles having its ends provided with openings elongated vertically and continued to the edge by a narrowed portion adapted to receive the web of the rail and forming fingers to fit over the bead said elongated opening providing vertical play for the heddle on the bead, substantially as described.

7. In combination with heddle having fingers at its ends turned inwardly, supporting devices comprising hooks having inwardlyturned fingers and a rail having beads on its upper and lower edges grasped by the said fingers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofIaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. LAOKEY.

Witnesses:

RALPH W. LACKEY, A. P. RUTHERFORD.

ICC 

